Transferable freight containers



y 7, 1964 A. M. HAND 3,140,005

TRANSFERABLE FREIGHT CONTAINERS Filed March 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A, M. Hand.

July 7, 1964 D 3,140,005

TRANSFERABLE FREIGHT. CONTAINERS Fiiged March 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. M. Hand.

United States Patent 3,140,005 TRANSFERABLE FREIGHT CONTAINERS Albert M. Hand, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to General American Trans:

portation Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 265,496 23 Claims. (Cl. 220--1.5)

The invention relates broadly to freight containers of the so-called piggy-back type which are required to be transferable between conveyance and conveyance as well as between conveyance and ground to facilitate loading, unloading, parking and/or trans-shipment thereof.

Inasmuch as a container of the present type would be relatively ponderous and awkward to manoeuver, special handling devices are provided for effecting transfer thereof as aforesaid; such devices being maintained usually at depots where the transfer is to be made. On the other hand, it is by no means uncommon for certain of the handling devicessuch as legs or props--to be trans ported with the container.

As one of its general objects, the invention seeks to provide a container of the described character equipped with improved means for co-operation with the said handling devices whereby to expedite transfer and to effect such transfer with minimal stress on the container. 2

The invention seeks also to provide a container as aforesaid with facilities enabling handling devices on its opposite sides to be coupled together for simultaneous operation, for example.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a container of the described character equipped with means at its vulnerable points designed for co-operation with said container handling devices as aforesaid and designed, at the same time, to reinforce said vulnerable points to resist damage or debilitation during transfer.

A collateral and related object of the invention is to provide a foundation member for a container of the character described which is not only fashioned to provide said container with facilities adapted to co-operate with said container handling devices as aforesaid but is also and at the. same time fashioned to expedite construction of the container by providing rigid anchorages for certain of the key structural members of the container.

As a further object, the invention also seeks to provide a container with special storage facilities for certain of said container handling devices, and an interlock for securing said handling devices either in operative or in stored positions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a foundation memberfor a present container which will assist in the achievement of the other objectives of the invention.

More specifically, the invention seeks to provide a container with a low pedestal base on which the container floor may be supported at a low elevation above the platform of a conveyance, for example, with storage facilities as aforesaid being provided in the plane of the base externally of the container proper; it being a further object of the invention to recess said base at certain points to provide such storage facilities.

The invention contemplates that the pedestal base aforesaid will include'in its construction a complement of rails forming the periphery or frame of the said base; said rails being interconnected or united at the corners ofthe structure by said foundation members at footings carried thereby. Said foundation members may also provide footings for the corner posts uniting; the container walls.

One, at least, of the rails aforesaid may be hollowalthough not necessarily tubular-providing communica- 3,140,005 Patented July 7, 1964 tion between the foundation members at its opposite ends and, hence, between the handling devices engaged in said foundation members.

Other objects of the invention more or less broad than the foregoing will be apparent from the hereinafter following description of the elements, parts and principles constituting the invention; a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated by way of example only in the hereunto annexed drawing wherein like reference devices denote like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a container as generally contemplated by the invention showing the ceiling, one end and one side thereof;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a foundation element according to the invention with portions broken away to expose structural details thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of the lower portion only of the container of FIG. 1 tilted to show its bottom;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pair of legs constituting one type of container handling device contemplated by the invention operatively coupled together for transfern'ng a container;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of another type of container handling device contemplated by the invention operatively coupled for transferring a container;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a leg constituting still another container handling device as contemplated by the invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged isometric view of a lower corner of an instant container with a leg of FIG. 6 secured thereto; and

FIG. 8 is a section along line. VIIIVIII of FIG. 3 affording plan views of the interlock and of the handling devices of FIGS. 4 and 6 respectively fixed thereon in operative and in stored positions.

The container-C constituting the embodiment illustrated. in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing and selected for the expository purposes of the present submission includes walls 10-10 and 1212 which meet each other at vertical corner posts 114which may be hollow-to define a box-like enclosure having a ceiling 8 as. well as a floor 16 intervening between and joining said walls 1010 and 12-12 respectively in an understood manner.

The base:B for the floor 16 is comprised of structuralelements such as rails 2020 converging and interconnected with other structural elementsthe rails 2222- to form a rectangular frame as illustrated; still other structural members 24 linking said frame members 2222, at regularly spaced intervals for supporting the floor 16 in the manner of floor joists as best shown by FIG; 3. It will be understood that the various structural ele ments making up the container C are cross-sectionally contoured to conform to accepted practices substantially as illustrated.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the dimensions of the base B are such that the rails 2020v extend toand may, in fact, constitute sills for-walls,

10-10 while rails 22-22 are slightly retracted relative;

pendicular to the planes of its walls 12--12 and, in such It will also be obvious that the.

s,14.0,oo

circumstances, it would therefore also be expedient to provide facilities accessible from the sides of the container enclosure whereby said container C may be engaged for movement or transfer as aforesaid.

Such engagement facilities are provided in the present embodiment by means of foundation members or elements F disposed, in this specific embodiment at the respective corners of the container C where, indeed, it is particularly vulnerable to stress as during transfer or transportation.

As seen particularly in FIG. 2 of the drawing, a said foundation element F comprises a socket 36 which is gen.- erally of open box-like configuration. That is to say, one side of said socket 30 may be its top, constituted inv this instance by web 32, which joins two other sides namely the flanges 3434 to define a channel-like structure. The bottom of the socket 30 opposite the web 32, being a fourth side, may be open. A wall 36 may be disposed at a fifth side of the socket 30; said wall 36 interconnecting said web 32 and flanges 3434 to close said channel-like structure at the tail end of the socket 30 and the sixth side of the latter opposite said wall 36 may remain open to provide ingress into said socket 30..

On its web 32, the socket 30 has a slightly elevated platform 37 which is embraceable within the lower and preferably hollow end of corner post 14 providing a footing to which said corner post 14 may be integrally united as by welding.

In like manner, the wall 36 at the rear or tail of the socket 30 may provide footing for an end rail while a socket flange 34 may provide footing for a side rail 22 of the container C as shown in FIG. 3.

It need hardly be emphasized that these three structural elements, namely; the corner posts 14, the end rails 20, and side rails 22 are all trained to converge on the base corners of the container C; the instant socket 30 being shaped and dimensioned to provide a unionfor these elements in each said corner.

It should be observed at this juncture that, although the word corners in the present context actually dc notes the respective extremities of the rectangular container C in this embodiment, the word is intended to have a much more liberal interpretation in the assessment of the ambit of the invention; it being quite conceivable that the corner facilities of this embodiment may, in certain instances, be expediently offset from the specific corners of other containers without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will also be noteworthy that the foundation element F comprising the socket 30 and the respective footings is preferably a massive, integral, unitary structure pro viding firm anchorage for the structural elements converging thereon thereby reinforcing the container C in a region in which it is notably vulnerable to stress.

Preferably, the lower corners of flanges 34-34 are cut back at the entrance to socket 30 for obvious purposes and flanges 3434 may have registering apertures 3S-38 for an interlock pin 40 which is reciprocably mounted on side rail 22 for engaging withdrawably in said apertures 38-38. As will be seen in FIGS. 3 and 7, said interlock pin 40 is disposed on said side rail 22 adjacent end rail 20 and in the space between said end rail 20 and the proximal joist member 24 between which structural elements it reciprocates.

For a purpose which will duly appear, the side rail 22 is further apertured to provide an auxiliary or secondary socket 42; the interlock pin 40 being dimensioned to pass therebehind when and as it is withdrawn from flange apertures 38-38 aforesaid.

FIG. 6 illustrates a leg 50 which is of the general sort on which containers of the present type may be supported when grounded. As will be observed, said leg 50 has a vertical standard 52 embraced by vertically slideable sleeve 53 which may be pinned to said standard as by pin 54 at any one of several elevations between the base and top of standard 52. Said sleeve 53 has a laterally projecting cantilevered stub 55 which the socket 30 and 42 are dimensioned and contoured to receive and said stub 55 is apertured as at 56-56 to receive interlock 40 when stub 55 is engaged in socket 30 with the leg 50 in standing or erect position as shown in FIG. 1.

Conversely, the leg 59 may be stored within the recess 59 provided by the overhang of floor 16 over base B as shown on the left side of FIG. 8.

That is to say, the stub 55 may be inserted into auxiliary socket 42 with the leg 50 being turned horizontally for the purpose and interlock 40 may then be moved to enter hole 58 at the top of stub 55 to retain the leg 50 in this stored position; said auxiliary socket 42 being sufficiently wide for this purpose.

It need hardly be pointed out again that leg 50 constitutes one of the container handling devices visualized by this invention; another such device being constituted by the apparatus disclosed in FIG. 5 and which is operable to push or pull the container C for transfer purposes.

That is to say, said apparatus of FIG. 5 may comprise a cylinder 68 with a reciprocable connecting rod 61 projecting therefrom and having an eye 62 at its free end. Said cylinder 60 may also carry a reversible dog 64 designed to co-operate in the manner of a ratchet with rack 66 which may be imbedded in the platform of the conveyance on which the container C is supported or onto which it is transferred.

Said cylinder 60 is not a part of this invention. It is yet noteworthy, however, that it may be operated to effect movement of said eye 62 towards and away from dog 64 whereby when the parts are operatively disposed, the cylinder 69 may co-operate with rack 66 in the manner of a horizontal jack to move container C in a selected direction relative to the surface carrying said rack 66. As shown in said FIG. 5, said cylinder 60 may be engaged in socket 30 by means of interlock 40 engaging in eye 62 of connecting rod 61.

It is noteworthy that the tails of the sockets 3030 at each end of container C point towards each other. Thus, the rail 20 interconnecting them being hollow, windows 6S68 are provided in the rear walls 36-36 of said sockets 3t]30 enabling handling devices engaged in said sockets 30-30 tobe coupled together by suitable exedients for tandem operation in the appropriate circumstances as for example when such handling devices are constituted by jack legs which are operable to raise and lower the container C.

Illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 8 are jack legs 7070 of the general type herein contemplated respectively consisting, as will be seen in FIG. 4, of the two telescopic devices namely; the foot 72 and the riser 74.

Said riser 74 may be equipped with a cantilever sleeve 76 which is analogous to stub 55 of leg 50 (FIG. 6) and similarly containable in socket 30 wherein it is likewise engageable by interlock 40. Said jack leg 70 may also be equipped with mechanism (not shown) operable by crank 78 for raising and lowering cantiliver sleeve 76, and with it the container C in a manner which will be obvious.

Said jack leg 70 may have a connector 80 which is rotatable by crank 78 and at the same speed and which projects from cantilever sleeve 76 as best shown in FIG. 4.

Upon insertion of a jack leg 70 into a socket 30 as in FIG. 8 its said connector 80 may project through the socket window 68 for engagement by and with a mating connector 82 at the end of a shaft 84 journalled as in bearings 8686 for rotation in hollow rail 20 carrying the said socket 30; said shaft 84 having also a similar mating connector 82 at its opposite end for operative coupling to a companion jack leg 70 similarly contained in an opposite socket 30; said shaft 84 extending between said sockets 3030. It will be obvious that the shaft 84 may be permanently mounted in said rail 20 wherein it is protected against harm.

With the parts being thus arranged, crank 78 may be operated to move the risers 74-74 on the coupled jack legs 7 70 simultaneously and in the same direction thus raising or lowering container C evenly and from one side thereof.

FIG. .7 of the drawin s further show that leg 50 may also be engaged in an auxiliary socket 42 in a vertical or ground engaging disposition; the floor 16, rail 22, and other relevant parts being suitably reinforced in the vicinity of said socket 42.

Thus, jack legs 72 72 may be engaged in opposite sockets 3030 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8 to lift one end of a container C; legs tl50 being then engageable in the adjacent auxiliary sockets 4242 to maintain the container C at the attained elevation while the jack legs 70- 70 are removedfor re-use at the other end of the same container for example.

It will be appreciated that devices such as jack legs 7070 are comparatively expensive and weighty. Moreover their principal purpose is to raise and/ or lower the container C which is 'most unlikely to be required anywhere except at a transfer depot.

In the circumstances the transferability of jack legs 7070 can therefore be seen to have useful potential which emanates, in turn,"from the present concept of dual sockets at the container extremities as hereinbefore described. i i

Moreover, a container C may well require an individual set of legs'50 when, for example, it isground'ed for loading, unloading, or stand-by purposes. In the result, it is generally expedient for each container C to carry its own sets of legs 50. In addition, the interior of 'a container C represents costly and valuable space which is incidentally saved by the present auxiliary sockets 42 for storing the legs 50 externally of container C wherein they may be safely and releasably held against inadvertent loss by interlock 40 mounted on rail 22; said interlock being useful also and in the alternative to retain other handling devices in socket 30 such as the transfer cylinder 69, jack legs 70 and others of the same character.

The foregoing is submitted only to illustrate the principles of the invention. Further since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those in the art it is not desired to confine the inventive idea to the precise constructions shown and described except to the extent delimited by the scope of the claims now following.

What I claim is: i l

1. A container of the character described including:

an enclosure;

a base for said enclosure;

at least two sockets in said base providing accommodation for container handling devices; and i an interlock for releasably securing said handling devices alternately in said sockets.

2. A container as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said sockets are spaced apart; and

said interlock includes a'pin dimensioned, to withdraw from and enter each socketalternately.

3. A container of the character described. including:

an enclosure;

a base for said enclosure;

a pair of sockets in said base respectively adjacent to the opposite ends of said enclosure and providing accommodations for container handling devices; and

a pair of interlocks respectively adjacent to said sockets for respectively releasably securing said handling devices in said sockets. I

4. A container. as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

said sockets are recessed under said enclosure.

5. A container of the character described including:

an enclosure;

a base for said enclosure having ends and sides;

a floor for said enclosure having a corner overhanging said base between its said ends and adjacent one of them; i

a socket providing accommodation .for a container handling device carried by said base beneath said overhanging corner;

a side rail forming part .of said base adjacent said socket; and i an interlock supported on said side rail for movement between two'positions for respectively engaging and releasing a container handling device accommodated in said socket.

6. A container as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said side rail is equipped'with a second socket for ,ac-

commodating a container handling device; and

said interlock is movable toeng'age and release a container handling device accommodated therein;

the engaging and releasing position of the interlock with respect to said second socket corresponding to other its alternative positions with respect to the first named socket. l l l v 7. A container as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said interlock is constitutedin part, at least, by a pin reciprocable between said twosocketsf 8. A container of the character described, comprising:

a substantially rectangular enclosure; i' i a floor for said enclosure; and

a base for said floor;

said base including end rails and side rails forming a frame; i V

a socket interconnecting said side and end rails at one corner, at least, of said base;

a post'at a corner of said enclosure; and

a footing for said post on said socket;

said floor having a corner overhanging said socket.

9. A container as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

a second socket interconnects said side and end rails at an opposite corner; and

said'floor has a second corner overhanging said second socket.

10. A container of the character described, comprising:

a' substantially rectangular enclosure;

a floor for said enclosure;

a base for said floor;

said base including end and side rails forming a frame;

sockets interconnecting said side and end rails at opposite corners of the frame;

an auxiliary socket provided in each side rail adjacent to and spaced from each corner socket; and

an interlock disposed between each auxiliary socket and its corner socket movable to alternately engage and release a container handling device accommodated in each said socket.

11. A freight container comprising a hollow boxlike body defining a lading 'chamber a rigid substantially rectangular base carrying said body, four rigid corner structures incorporated in said base and respectively arranged at the four corners thereof, each one of said corner structures having an opening formedtherein and constituting a corner socket adapted to receive a corresponding detachable handling'devicefand four corner locking elements carried by said'base respectively adjacent to said corner sockets, each one of said corner locking elements being selectively operative between lock and release positions withresp ect to a handling device received in the'adjacent one of said corner sockets.

12. The freight container set forth in claim 11, and

further comprising two rigid end sills incorporated in said base and respectively arranged at the two ends thereof, the opposite ends of each one of said-end sills being respectively rigidly'secured to the two adjacent ones of said corner structures. i

13.' The freight container set forth in claim 11, and

further comprising two rigid side sills incorporated in said 'base' and respectively arranged at the two sides thereof, thecpposite ends of each one of saidside sills being respectively rigidly secured; to the two adjacent ones of said corner structures.

14. The freight container set forth in claim 11, wherein said body includes a substantially rectangular floor supported upon the top of said base with the four corners of said floor respectively projecting over the tops of said corner structures.

15. The freight container set forth in claim 11, wherein said body includes four upstanding corner posts respectively rigidly secured at the bottom ends thereof to the tops of said corner structures.

16. The freight container set forth in claim 11, wherein said body includes a substantially rectangular fioor supported upon the top of said base, two opposed upstanding end walls respectively joining at the bottom portions thereof the two ends of said floor and respectively positioned substantially flush with the two ends of said base, and two opposed upstanding side walls respectively joining at the bottom portions thereof the two sides of said floor and respectively positioned somewhat outwardly of the two sides of said base, whereby two side recesses are respectively provided adjacent to the two sides of said base and respectively located below the corresponding two sides of said floor.

17. The freight container set forth in claim ll, wherein two spaced-apart holes are formed in one side of said base respectively adjacent to the two of said corner structures arranged on said one side thereof and two spaced-apart holes are formed in the other side of said base respectively adjacent to the two of said corner structures arranged on said other side thereof, each one of said holes constituting a side socket adapted to receive a corresponding detachable handling device, and further comprising four side locking elements carried by said base respectively adjacent to said side sockets, each one of said side locking elements being selectively operative between lock and release positions with respect to a handling device received in the adjacent one of said side sockets.

18. A freight container comprising a hollow box-like body defining a lading chamber, a rigid substantially rectangular base carrying said body, two rigid corner structures incorporated in said base and respectively arranged at the two corners thereof at one end thereof, each one of said corner structures having an opening formed therein and constituting a corner socket, two leg devices, the upper portion of each one of said leg devices carrying a rigid fixture that is adapted to be inserted into either one of said sockets, and two corner locking elements carried by said base respectively adjacent to said corner sockets, each one of said corner locking elements being selectively operative between lock and release positions with respect to one of said fixtures received in the adjacent one of said corner sockets, thereby to accommodate detachable connection of said leg devices to said corner structures, each of said leg devices including a standard that is selectively adjustable in the vertical direction with respect to the associated one of said fixtures, whereby said two leg devices may support said one end of said freight container at a desired height above an exterior support.

19. A freight container comprising a hollow box-like body defining a lading chamber, a rigid substantially rectangular base carrying said body, two rigid corner structures incorporated in said base and respectively arranged at the two corners thereof at one end thereof, a rigid end sill incorporated in said base at said one end thereof, the opposite ends of said end sill being respectively rigidly secured to said corner structures, each one of said corner structures having an opening formed therein and constituting a corner socket, two leg devices, the upper portion of each one of said leg devices carrying a rigid fixture that is adapted to be inserted into either one of said sockets, two corner locking elements carried by said base respectively adjacent to said corner sockets, each one of said corner locking elements being selectively operative between lock and release positions with respect to one of said fixtures received in the adjacent one of' said corner sockets, thereby to accommodate detachable connection of said leg devices to said corner structures, each of said leg devices including a standard that is selectively adjustable in the vertical direction with respect to the associated one of said fixtures, whereby said two leg devices may support said one end of said freight container at a desired height above an exterior support, each of said leg devices also including mechanism for selectively adjusting the associated one of said standards with respect to the associated one of said fixtures, each one of said mechanisms including a rotatably mounted part that is selectively rotatable in opposite directions to effect corresponding operations thereof in order to cause corresponding opposite adjustments of the associated one of said standards with respect to the associated one of said fixtures, and a rotatably mounted shaft carried by said end sill and adapted to interconnect the inner ends of said parts when said leg devices are respectively detachably secured to said corner structures, whereby rotation of one of said parts effects like rotation of the other of said parts through said shaft, with the result that corresponding and like adjustments of said standards are respectively effected simultaneously with respect to said fixtures.

20. A freight container comprising a hollow box-like body defining a lading chamber, a rigid substantially rectangular base carrying said body, two rigid corner structures incorporated in said base and respectively arranged at the two corners thereof at one end thereof, each one of said corner structures having an opening formed therein and constituting a corner socket, two rigid side sills respectively incorporated in the two sides of said base, corresponding ends of said side sills at said one end of said base being respectively rigidly secured to said corner structures, said side sills having two holes respectively formed therein respectively adjacent to said corner structures, each one of said holes constituting a side socket, four leg devices, the upper portion of each one of said leg devices carrying a rigid fixture that is adapted to be inserted into any one of said sockets, thereby to accommodate detachable connection of a first two of said leg devices to said corner structures and to accommodate detachable connection of a second two of said leg devices to said side sills, and two locking units respectively carried by said side sills, one of said locking units being arranged mutually adjacent to one of said corner sockets and one of said side sockets and the other of said locking units being arranged mutually adjacent to the other of said corner sockets and the other of said side sockets, each one of said locking units having a first position locking the one of said fixtures received in the associated one of said corner sockets and releasing the one of said fixtures received in the associated one of said side sockets and a second position releasing the one of said fixtures received in the associated one of said corner sockets and locking the one of said fixtures received in the associated one of said side sockets.

21. The freight container set forth in claim 20, wherein each one of said side sockets is arranged to receive any one of said fixtures when it is oriented in either of two different positions disposed approximately apart, whereby any one of said leg devices may be detachably secured to either one of said side sills with said one leg device carried either in a substantially vertical position directed downwardly from the associated side sill or carried in a substantially horizontal position directed inwardly from the adjacent one of said corner structures.

22. The freight container set forth in claim 19, wherein said end sill has an elongated passage extending therethrough, and said shaft is rotatably mounted within said passage so that said end sill protects said shaft against accidental external damage.

23. The freight container set forth in claim 19, wherein said rigid fasteners respectively carried by the upper portions of said leg devices respectively project laterally inwardly therefrom, said corner sockets respectively formed in said corner structures respectively open laterally outwardly therefrom in positions respectively disposed in lateral alignment with the opposite ends of said end sill, and said rotatably mounted parts respectively included in said mechanisms respectively project 10 laterally inwardly through said rigid fixtures and beyond the inner ends thereof and into respective interconnecting relations with the opposite ends of said rotatably mounted shaft carried by said end sill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,063,667 Doty et al. Nov. 13, 1962 

1. A CONTAINER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED INCLUDING: AN ENCLOSURE; A BASE FOR SAID ENCLOSURE; AT LEAST TWO SOCKETS IN SAID BASE PROVIDING ACCOMMODATION FOR CONTAINER HANDLING DEVICES; AND AN INTERLOCK FOR RELEASABLY SECURING SAID HANDLING DEVICES ALTERNATELY IN SAID SOCKETS. 